Did anyone make it to no TV or screens until 2?

[Anonymous]

Of course. No screens until 1st grade (minus FaceTiming with relatives who live far away).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL. Laughing aside, the only parents I know who did have actual mental health problems.

That’s a very unkind and judgmental comment.

[Anonymous]

Started just before 2 because covid. I think he has learned all letters and numbers from sesame street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nanny here.

Yes, my nearly two-year-old charge has never watched TV or a movie. He’s seen his parents typing on their laptops but has not even FaceTimed yet. We’ll easily make it to two and, most likely, continue until much older as his new baby sister is due this month and I know my employers want her to be screen-free until two.

+1. Same with my 2.5 year old charge (who already knows his letters, phonetic sounds and numbers from me).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious.

With covid isolation and working from home, we didn’t make it.

Aw, is OP cryin’ because she was deprived of her widdle mommy medal?

[Anonymous]

I did, but it wasn't for lack of trying. My son wasnt interested until then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious.

With covid isolation and working from home, we didn’t make it.

Aw, is OP cryin’ because she was deprived of her widdle mommy medal?

What are you babbling about, dear?

[Anonymous]

I watched Netflix and baseball constantly when my kid was an infant.

When she was big enough to actually notice the TV, I was more cautious, but still plenty of baseball in the evening, plus the occasional movie on a sick day, and plenty of 5-10 videos to entertain her while I got dressed or prepared a meal or went to the bathroom.

She started watching full episodes of Sesame Street at 18 months.

At 2, she got 30-60 minutes of TV probably 3-4 days a week -- Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger, Doc McStuffins.

At 2.5, we went through a brief period where she watched hours of tv a day for a few weeks because of a death in the family, including some garbage Disney shows that I would not normally touch with a 10 foot pole.

At 3, she now watches a few hours a week.

She just started reading on her own -- just simple words that she can put together with her letter magnets on the fridge. She knows all her letters and their sounds and knows numbers to 15 and can even do very simple math (3 apples minus 1 apple is 2 apples). She loves to talk, is social, and has great emotional control for a 3 year old -- meltdowns occasionally, but can identify her feelings and express them and has a few coping skills that she can initiate on her own.

Also, she has a mother who, with limited childcare and no help from family, has stayed sane and healthy for 3 years of both SAH and WAH, the most recent 6 months in a pandemic.

Good god, the screen time thing. Just don't plant them in front of the television for hours at a time as a stand in for actual parenting. And even as you do, as we did for three weeks earlier this year, it's okay as long as you keep talking to them and paying attention to them and course correct when you can.

(My kid has also eaten McDonald's french fries on dozens of occasions. Normal height and weight, eats vegetables and other healthy food, it's fine, my god, please stop with this stuff.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I watched Netflix and baseball constantly when my kid was an infant.

When she was big enough to actually notice the TV, I was more cautious, but still plenty of baseball in the evening, plus the occasional movie on a sick day, and plenty of 5-10 videos to entertain her while I got dressed or prepared a meal or went to the bathroom.

She started watching full episodes of Sesame Street at 18 months.

At 2, she got 30-60 minutes of TV probably 3-4 days a week -- Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger, Doc McStuffins.

At 2.5, we went through a brief period where she watched hours of tv a day for a few weeks because of a death in the family, including some garbage Disney shows that I would not normally touch with a 10 foot pole.

At 3, she now watches a few hours a week.

She just started reading on her own -- just simple words that she can put together with her letter magnets on the fridge. She knows all her letters and their sounds and knows numbers to 15 and can even do very simple math (3 apples minus 1 apple is 2 apples). She loves to talk, is social, and has great emotional control for a 3 year old -- meltdowns occasionally, but can identify her feelings and express them and has a few coping skills that she can initiate on her own.

Also, she has a mother who, with limited childcare and no help from family, has stayed sane and healthy for 3 years of both SAH and WAH, the most recent 6 months in a pandemic.

Good god, the screen time thing. Just don't plant them in front of the television for hours at a time as a stand in for actual parenting. And even as you do, as we did for three weeks earlier this year, it's okay as long as you keep talking to them and paying attention to them and course correct when you can.

(My kid has also eaten McDonald's french fries on dozens of occasions. Normal height and weight, eats vegetables and other healthy food, it's fine, my god, please stop with this stuff.)

So, you’re answer to the post is “no”. Would it really have been that hard just to type “no”?

[Anonymous]

Yes made it until age 4 with virtual PK. I don't really see a difference with the screentime kids and no screen kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course. No screens until 1st grade (minus FaceTiming with relatives who live far away).

FaceTime counts as screen time. Like anything else, screens are a tool and not inherently good or bad

[Anonymous]

No tv or computers until well after 2 for the first, and maybe 2.5 for the second. But they are 17 and 19 now, so maybe it was different/easier then?

[Anonymous]

My kids all turned 2 well before COVID. My first kid didn't watch screens that were turned on for him until after 3, although he was in the room while the superbowl was playing, or while I was working at my computer, and I'm pretty sure I showed him pictures of himself that I'd taken on my phone. My youngest had way more screens, because his birth was the reason why I introduced them to his 3 year old brother, and so he was around when things that attracted kids were playing from the beginning. Youngest has been earlier than oldest on pretty much every milestone and academic skill.

The only real benefit I see from my kids from not introducing it earlier is that in the first 3 years I never had a kid ask for a screen or have a tantrum because I said no screens. To be honest, I think that I probably endured more whining from my youngest about not having a screen, than I prevented by using a screen to keep him busy. However, my kids have different personalities so that's a guess.

[Anonymous]

Very few parents will keep their kids away from screens until after two. Very few.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL. Laughing aside, the only parents I know who did have actual mental health problems.

That’s a very unkind and judgmental comment.

As far as I know no serious mental health issues but all three of mine made it to at least 5 with absolutely none and minimal until 8 or 9. Pre-COVID though!!!